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Mediterranean

The Moroccan coast is largely steep to. Ports are conveniently spaced, making day sailing along the coast feasible. Two ports, Melilla and Ceuta, are Spanish enclaves, connected by regular ferries with Spain. Boats must book in and book out of Moroccan harbours for every passage. To anchor between ports, permission must be obtained beforehand, though there are not many suitable anchorages.

Winds are predominantly westerly in winter, and NE sea breezes in summer.

In the virtually tideless Mediterranean, it's common to moor end on (bows-to or stern-to) using fenders to keep boats apart. Meanwhile, your anchor or a mooring line holds you off a quay or pontoon. Your anchor will be also be used far more often than (for instance) in southern England, often in quite demanding circumstances. Read on for hints:

Tunisia is a compact, tourist adapted country, about 250 x120nm, with about 10 million population. There's a coastline of more than 600nm to explore, with never more than 50nm between destinations, and adequate provision for visiting yachts. There's lots to see. Picturesque old walled cities and their medinas alternate with sandy beaches along the coast, and there are fascinating ancient cultural sites inland. The "Arab Spring" started here.

The African and Asian coasts, south of Turkey, are coasts of passage, worth visiting for access to superb relics of early civilisations. Expect tight control of yacht movements in these regions. Tunisia is an exception; tourist friendly, it is a satisfactory cruising ground, and in the south, a warm and sunny wintering spot. Risks created by the "Arab Spring" should be checked with UK Foreign Office Travel Advice for each country before visiting for up to date information.

Cyprus has a mild winter climate, and is a year round holiday destination. It's well Anglicised, and a favoured wintering base for yachts, ashore or afloat. However, it's politically divided, with two large UK military bases in the south, and relatively few ports and marinas - so cruising is limited. It's more a staging post en route to the Levant or Suez - should these destinations become more popular.

Montenegro and Albania offer an interesting and safe coast of transit between Croatia and Greece. With less than 60nm between ports, day sailing is feasible. It's worth spending time in Montenegro's Gulf of Kotor, or even wintering the boat in the country.

The mainland and larger islands off the Dalmatian coast have attractive towns and villages, the relics of several civilisations, and some dramatic national parks. The scenery ranges from the rugged barrenness of the Kornati Islands, still partly affected by the occasional bora, to the lush green of Mljet and its nearby islands. Mountains form a backdrop to most places, those behind Split being particularly striking. The water is crystal clear - an advantage of having no sandy beaches. There are hundreds of anchorages, some fields of moorings in the more popular anchorages, plenty of (rather expensive) marinas, good yacht support, and plenty of winter layup choices. From mid-July to the end of August the area is hectic with yachts visiting from Italy. Charter turn-rounds crowd many marinas on Fridays and Saturdays - good days to visit some of the popular attractions with nearby anchorages.

This northern corner of the Adriatic is a holiday playground for Italy and eastern Europe, with much tourist development and a lively café life. Italian is widely spoken, and many towns have kept their old Italian character. Marinas and harbours are closely spaced making day sailing easy. Before departure from Slovenia for Croatia, non-EU passport holders should have their passports stamped to prove they have left the Schengen zone. Entry into Croatia is closely controlled, and yachts should report to the first available port of entry to obtain a cruise permits. Our Croatian country datapage describes the (very clear) regulations, which should be adhered to.

East Italy is a coast of passage with few anchorages, but fine food. South of Vieste, ports are fairly widely spaced. Going north, Venice is a "must see". There's good value and popular (if cold and windy) on-shore wintering at Monfalcone near Trieste. Many who cruise Croatia winter there.

This page describes the Adriatic in general, and leads to more detailed pages about each cruising region. The sea is 420nm long and 100nm wide. The high spot is cruising Croatia, which should not be missed. There is a marked difference between the high standards of food and service in Italy, compared with the more simple standards along the eastern shores. There's more unsettled weather in the Adriatic than in other parts of the Mediterranean - with winter frosts in the north.